The Tale Of Two Generals And Their Impact On Two Wars And Future Wars

Photo: General McChrystal and General petraeus. army.mil

Book Review: ‘The Insurgents’ By Fred Kaplan And ‘My Share of the Task’ By Stanley A. McChrystal -- Greg Jaffe, Washington Post

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s epiphany came in the summer of 2006 as he accompanied his Army Rangers on a raid into Ramadi, an Iraqi city transformed by insurgents into a sprawling car-bomb factory.

McChrystal had honed his commandos into incredibly lethal hunters. Each day, terabytes of surveillance videos, phone call intercepts and seized documents poured into his headquarters. Analysts picked through the intelligence, cross-checking it with tips from interrogators. Each night, the commandos pounced.

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My Comment: Both Generals implemented war policies that had to assist the political desire in Washington and in the capitals of our allies to assist in 'nation building'. But has this policy of winning the 'hearts and minds' work .... sighhh .... I would have to say no. Billions spent, scores of lives lost .... and the conflicts are still ongoing. And now .... the doctrine is dead .... as the last two paragraphs of this book review reveal ....

.... The brief counterinsurgency renaissance that Petraeus and McChrystal inspired is finished. The Obama administration sealed its demise last year when it ordered the Army to stop using the doctrine in its planning for future conflicts. Meanwhile, the president has ramped up the lethal targeting machine that McChrystal built in Iraq. Today, McChrystal’s commandos are fighting an endless and secret war in far-flung locales such as Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia.

This is the new American way of war. And McChrystal will be remembered as the general who reluctantly created it.

What's Next For David Petraeus?

Photo: General Petraeus

Petraeus, Suddenly With Plenty of Free Time, Ponders His Next Move -- New York times

ARLINGTON, Va. — Here on an expensive but otherwise unremarkable street in the suburbs of Washington, David H. Petraeus is managing a new life in the doghouse.

He is seeking forgiveness from his furious wife, missing his old job as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, fighting off cabin fever — and plotting a comeback.

Friends say that Mr. Petraeus, who resigned from the C.I.A. on Nov. 9 because of an extramarital affair, so far has offers to teach from four universities, a grab bag of book proposals from publishers in New York and an interest in speaking and serving on corporate boards. He has hired Robert B. Barnett, the Washington superlawyer, to handle his future, and friends say he has not even ruled out becoming a talking head on television.

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My Comment: Quoting General Douglas MacArthur .... he should 'fade away'.

Was General Petraues' Military Strategies A Success?

David Petraeus: A US War Hero? -- Al Jazeera

After a scandalous affair brought him down, we ask how successful the retired general's military strategies have been.

A scandalous affair has brought down a man referred to by many as one of the greatest generals in US history. But how successful have David Petraeus' strategies really been in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Until a few years ago, few people had heard of Petraeus. But in Washington DC, he has been long revered.

He has been compared to the likes of Dwight Eisenhower, the man who led the allied forces to victory in World War II.

His counter-inserguency strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan have been hailed as great sucesses.

And as he accepted his assignment as head of US central command in 2008, his boss at the time, Defence Secretary Robert Gates referred to him as "the pre-eminent soldier-scholar-statesman of his generation".

But his critics say, the legacy of his career is not that stellar and deserves far more scrutiny than the US media and politicians are willing to give it.

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My Comment: The critics of General Petraeus are coming out with a vengeance. An even more brutal commentary is here.

Update: Check out this 'vocal' exchange on CNN's Piers Morgan's Morning Show.

General Petraeus Is Confident As He Leaves Afghanistan

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force, greets U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta upon the secretary's arrival at Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan, July 9, 2011. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

Petraeus Confident As He Leaves Afghanistan -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — Just days away from the end of his tour as the supreme military commander in Afghanistan, and the end of a 37-year military career, Gen. David H. Petraeus said he was leaving in the belief that his plan to turn around the war and hand over security to the Afghans could be achieved.

“It is very hard, but it is doable,” he said in his last scheduled interview before his departure this month. “A number of different elements have to keep coming together to achieve our objectives. Again, we are talking about an objective that is Afghans able to secure and govern themselves with some continued level of support.”

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More News On General Petraeus As He Ends His Tour In Afghanistan

Afghan insurgent attacks dip for first time: Petraeus -- Reuters
Taliban Summer Attacks Down Compared To Last Year -- Radio Free Europe
Petraeus says insurgent fighting is down, 'heck of a lot better' than expected ... but by how much? -- Stars and Stripes
Petraeus speaks about troop withdraw, battling al-Qaida -- Dvids
Panetta Vows to Continue Fighting Taliban, al-Qaida -- U.S. Department of Defense
Al-Qaida Can Be Dismantled, Petraeus Says -- U.S. Department of Defense

A Fascinating Exchange Between General Petraeus And Senator Carl Levin

General David Petraeus: I Disagree With Barack Obama But 'I'm No Quitter' -- Toby Harnden, The Telegraph

There was a fascinating exchange in General David Petraeus’s Senate confirmation hearing yesterday when Senator Carl Levin, a Democrat and chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sought to outwit him after he had diplomatically expressed his disagreement (see the video above) with President Barack Obama’s pullout plan.

At the start of his slot, Levin twice tried to put words into Petraeus’s mouth. When he summarised the Afghanistan commander’s view about President Barack Obama’s drawdown plan as feeling “comfortable implementing it and supporting it”, Petraeus politely demurred: “I would be a bit more qualified, Mr. Chairman.”

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My Comment: I completely agree with Toby Harnden's assessment ...

.... Petraeus’s point was a simple but powerful one. Soldiers can’t simply resign every time they disagree with an order. In Petraeus’s case, to pursue such a course in anything other than the most extreme circumstances would damage the country’s foreign policy. It would be an act of vanity.

Not surprisingly, this exchange was absent in the American main stream media .... but widely reported in Europe.

An Interview With General Petraeus

Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, left, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus receive a briefing from Afghan army Brig. Gen. Amlaqullah Patyani, commander of the Kabul Military Training Center, in Afghanistan, Jan. 11, 2011. At any given time, more than 11,000 recruits at the center are preparing to serve in the Afghan national army. Petraeus is the commander of the International Security Assistance Force. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Brian Brannon

FT Interview Transcript: Gen David Petraeus -- Financial Times

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General David Petraeus, the commander of Nato and US forces in Afghanistan, spoke to Matthew Green, the Financial Times Afghanistan and Pakistan correspondent, at his headquarters in Kabul on February 6.

He pledged to raise the pressure on the Taliban this year, but warned that violence could increase in some areas as insurgents sought to regain lost ground. He said an escalating campaign of raids to kill or capture insurgent commanders was causing divisions within the Taliban leadership, and explained his plans to raise village forces to prevent insurgent infiltration. He also argued that operations by US and Afghan forces last year had won improvements in security in Kabul and parts of the south, and pledged to counter insurgent attempts to infiltrate other parts of the country.

The following is an edited transcript:

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My Comment: This is one of the longest interviews with General Petraeus that I have read in a long time. Read it all.

I Guess Everything Caught Up With General Petraeus Today

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Petraeus Appears To Faint During Senate Testimony -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The commander of American forces in the Middle East, Gen. David H. Petraeus, appeared to faint briefly during an intense period of questioning Tuesday by senators concerning whether the military could fulfill President Obama’s orders to begin pulling troops from Afghanistan in July of next year.

General Petraeus, a long-distance runner, slumped forward toward the microphone where he was seated and was escorted from the Senate hearing room by aides.

He returned about 30 minutes later and was greeted with applause from those in the audience.

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More News On General Petraeus

Gen. Petraeus’s pregnant pause on Afghanistan -- Washington Post
Petraeus Collapses During Hill Hearing -- Wall Street Journal
Gen. Petraeus falls ill, prompts adjournment of Senate hearing -- Washington Post
Petraeus Passes Out During Testimony -- ABC News
Petraeus Slumps At Senate Hearing, Jet-Lag Blamed -- NPR
Senate hearing postponed after Petraeus apparently chokes -- CNN
Gen. David Petraeus passes out on Capitol Hill -- USA Today
Senate Armed Services Panel Recessed as Petraeus Leaves Room -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Petraeus slumps at Senate hearing, jet-lag blamed -- KSRO/AP
Petraeus Slumps Over Desk During Senate Hearing -- FOX News

My Comment: He does not have an easy job .... but one that I believe that he is the right man in the right place at the right time doing it.

The Professor Of War: General David Petraeus

General David Petraeus, the architect of American strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan, at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, Florida, where he heads the U.S. Central Command.

From Vanity Fair:

At 57, General David Petraeus has revolutionized the way America fights its wars, starting with the surge in Iraq and continuing into his current command, with responsibility for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Yemen. Charting Petraeus’s relentless challenge to the institution he reveres—the U.S. Army—and to himself, the author hears about the unceasing drive, groundbreaking methods, and darkest moments of a four-star rebel.

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My Comment: A rather long and interesting puff piece from Vanity Fair. I read nothing new, but the article nicely summarizes General Petraeus's history from the Iraq surge to the present time.

What Is General Petraeus Doing?

General David Petraeus

Petraeus: Iran Becoming A 'Thugocracy' -- Politico

CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus took several hard shots at Iran on Sunday, saying the country was becoming a “thugocracy” and calling President Mamoud Ahmadinejad “our best recruiting officer.”

Iran’s security forces are playing less of a role in Iraq now, since they “have had to focus a great deal more on internal security challenges than they did in the past,” Petraeus told Fareed Zakaria on CNN.

“Iran has gone from a theocracy to a thugacracy,” he said, “because of the citizens who are outraged by the hijacking of the election that took place last June.”

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More News On General Petraeus

Interview with Gen. David Petraeus -- Real Clear Politics
Petraeus warns Iran becoming 'thugocracy' -- AFP
Petraeus Expects Iraqi Leaders to Remain Inclusive -- US Department of Defense
David Petraeus On 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': No Problem Serving With Gay Men And Women (VIDEO) -- Huffington Post
Petraeus Tells CNN He’s Worked With Gay, Lesbian CIA Officers -- Business Week/Bloomberg
Petraeus: No Intelligence on Bin Laden in Years -- Newsmax
Petraeus foresees heavy casualties in Afghanistan war -- Washington Post
Petraeus backs closing camps, interrogation limits -- Miami Herald Tribune
General Petraeus on leadership -- CNN

Petraeus On Leadership

Transcript: Gen. Petraeus on his leadership role models -- Washington Post



Transcript: Gen. Petraeus on staying strong through 'horrific news'. -- Washington Post

Hat Tip: Small Wars Journal.

General Petraeus Treated For Prostate Cancer

Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of American military forces in the Middle East, at the Newseum in Washington last week. He received a diagnosis of early-stage prostate cancer in February. Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of American military forces in the Middle East, learned in February that he had early-stage prostate cancer but has undergone “successful” radiation treatment for the illness, according to a statement issued late Monday.

General Petraeus, 56, who as head of the United States CentrCommand oversees operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, underwent two months of radiation treatment here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the statement said.

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More News On General Petraeus

US General Petraeus treated for cancer -- AFP
Gen. Petraeus treated for prostate cancer -- AP
Gen Petraeus treated for cancer -- BBC
Petraeus was treated for prostate cancer -- CNN

The "Bush" Generals Are Taking A Back Seat In This Administration

Gen. David H. Petraeus was the face of the Iraq troop surge.
Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Voice of Bush’s Favored General Is Now Harder to Hear -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — Gen. David H. Petraeus, the face of the Iraq troop surge and a favorite of former President George W. Bush, spoke up or was called upon by President Obama “several times” during the big Afghanistan strategy session in the Situation Room last week, one participant says, and will be back for two more meetings this week.

But the general’s closest associates say that underneath the surface of good relations, the celebrity commander faces a new reality in Mr. Obama’s White House: He is still at the table, but in a very different seat.

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My Comment: One should not be surprised by this development. Every new administration has their own allies, advisers, and supporters that they wish to position in key areas within the government. The military is not an exception to this rule, and General Petraeus understands that.

What I would like to know is who in the military/intelligence services will eventually have the ear of the President. While I am sure that Sec. of Defense Gates, Adm. Mullen, and Gen. Petraeus are providing valuable information to the President .... they are holdovers from the Bush Presidency, and are serving on the wishes of the President. National Security adviser Jones has also provided a valuable role .... but he is not from president Obama's inner circle in the same manner that Condoleeza Rice was when she was President Bush's National Security adviser.

For the moment .... there is no one (I do not include Vice Presient Biden) .... a condition that will probably not help the President when he needs unfiltered advice from the Pentagon on important startegic policies .... Afghanistan included. But I will make a prediction .... if Afghanistan does go south in 2010, someone is going to get blamed and if history is any indication .... be prepared for massive changes in the Pentagon starting from the top with Secretary Gates to the commanders in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Gen. Petraeus: U.S. No Less Safe Under Obama

Gen. David Petraeus testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 22, 2008, before the Senate Armed Services committee nomination hearing for his reappointment to the grade of general and to be commander of the U.S. Central Command. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Photo from Huffington Post)

From The Hill:

General David Petraeus countered recent suggestions by former Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday that the United States is less safe under the Obama administration.

“I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that,” Petraeus said during an appearance on CNN where he was asked about Cheney's comments.

In an interview on CNN two weeks ago, Cheney defended Bush administration interrogation policies and the detention camp in Guantanamo Bay as making the U.S. safer. He criticized Obama for announcing changes to U.S. interrogation policies, which he said had foiled terrorist attacks on the U.S.

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My Comment: The difference between Vice President Cheney and General Petraeus is that while General Petraeus focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Vice President Cheney's focus was on the bigger picture. I would trust Vice President Cheney's analysis over General Petraeus's on this issue of U.S. security.